Improved apparatus for carbureting air



J. s. W000.

Carbureter. 7 No. 84,332. Patented Nov. '24, 1868 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH S. WOOD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA? IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CARBURETING AIR.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 84,332, dated November 24, 1868.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH S. Woon, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements on the Garburet-in g Apparatus secured to me by Letters Patent dated on the 9th day of July, 1867; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a diametrical section through the improved carbureting apparatus.

The carbureting apparatus which was secured to me by Letters Patent numbered 66,545 consisted of a gasoline-chamber arranged beneath a water-tank in which moved a gas receiver and regulator. Into the lower chamber common air was forced through pipes leading above the level of the gasoline in this chamber, which air was carburetcd more or less by the volatilization of the gasoline, and then conducted through a valve opening into the movable receiver above. To this movable receiver a valve was suspended, which valve would close the communication leading to the chamber below when the receiver rose to its highest point, and which would also by its conical form regulate the size of the induction-valve opening according to the amount of gas in said receiver and the consumption of gas.

. v The object of this invention is to improvethis apparatus in the manner of carbureting the air by the employment of a carbonizer which is constructed with a number of independent annular carbureting-chambers in its bottom, and which is suspended in the volatile liquid in such manner thatitshall be nicely balanced therein and be caused to rise and descend by the pressure of the inflowin g air, and thus operate not only as a means for confining the air in contact with the volatile liquid,but also as a means for agitating the liquid while the air in its difi'erent stages of richness is thus confined, as will be hereinafter explained. I

also improve the said apparatus by causing the air,in its passage from one of the independent annular chambers of the carbonizer and agitator to another, to pass laterally beneath annular rings or divisions, forming a number of independent carbureting chambers, as will be hereinafter explained. I'also improve said ing-tube rising above it and communicating with the innermost chamber in said carbonizer through side tubes, which side tubes will conduct the air entering the central guide-tube rapidly into said chamber, and thereby prevent air from packing in the upper end of the said central tube, as will be hereinafter explained. I also improve said apparatus by providing a chamber beneath it for receiving the inflowing air and conducting the air to the carbureter, which chamber will receive and contain the condensed ll) oisture in the air from the blower, as will be hereinafter explained;

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I will describe its construction and operation.

Before commencing a description of the construction of my improved carbureting'apparatus, I desire to state that I am aware it is not new, in the process of mixing air or illuminating-gas with the vapor of volatile hyhydrocarbon for the purpose of enriching the same, to employ a floating receiving and expanding chamber for compelling the air or gasto circulate in close contact with the volatile liquid, as such a contrivance is shown in Letters Patent numbered 28,549, also in Letters Patent numbered 44,883, also in the Letters bureting-chamber in proportion to the rapidity of consumption I construct the lower part, A, of the improved apparatus of east-iron, divided into two chambers by a horizontal division-plate, a, which forms in the upper part a tank and reservoir, D, containing gasoline, N, or other volatile hydrocarbon liquid suitable for the purpose contemplated. Below this divisionplate a chamber, G, is formed, which is provided with an air-inlet pipe, 0, and adraw-off cock, VY, and which is intended for collecting the condensed moisture in the air on its way from an air-forcing apparatus to the carburetin g-chamber. The air to be carbureted enters the chamber Gr through the pipe G, and from this chamber it escapes in suitable quantities into the carbureting device hereinafter described.

In the center of the division-plate a is a pipe,

d, which rises in the chamber D a suitable height above the gasoline therein, and is rigidly fixed in an upright position, as shown in the drawing.

The carbonizer is made of an inverted-sauoer-shaped cup, E, having a hollow stem, 0, in its center, which is closed at top, and slightly larger in diameter than the stand-pipe d. This pipe 0 is open at its bottom, so that it will receive in it the stand-pipe (Z, and thus allow the latter to keep the cup E always in a planelevel with the surface of the liquid N, and also to serve as a guide for allowing this cup to rise and fall freely and squarely. The pipes e on thesides of the pipe 6 communicate through apertures c with the upper part of this pipe 0, above pipe (I, and conduct air freely downward into the innermost chamber of the cup E, as indicated by the arrows in the drawing.

Three concentric rings, h h h, of different diameters, are secured to the bottom side of the cup E, which rings form three circular chambers, which are independent of each other when the edges of the rings h dip into the liquid N, as shown in the drawing.

It desirable, pieces of flannel p or other suitable absorbent may bevdrawn around the outer surfaces of the several rings h and allowed to extend a short distance below said rings, as shown. This absorbent may be used or not. Above this cup E, and suitably supported in place, is a box or barrel, H, which contains a coiled spring, and to this barrel is brazed one end of an arm, T, the opposite end of which is secured by a link'to the cup E.

By means of a pawl and ratchet, t, the spring may be set at any required tension. The spring in the barrel H operates as a counterbalance to the earbonizer, and should be so adjusted that the edges of the rings It will dip into the liquid N the proper distance when there is not a strong pressure of air acting to lift it. At the same time the said spring should allow the carbonizer to rise and descend with the rise and fall of the liquid N. The carbonizer is automatic and will rise and descend with the varying height of the liquid N. It

also acts as an agitator, the pressure of the air causing it to rise, and the inequality of this pressure of air keepingit constantly in motion, and thus agitating the gasoline and insuring a more perfect carbureting of the air.

The regulating part of this apparatus may be constructed as described in my Letters Pat;- cnt numbered 66,545, and substantially as shown. The improvement on it consists of a horizontal chamber, S, which is between the conical division M and the divisioirring M, and which is designed for collecting condensed vapor, and also for another purpose, hereinafter mentioned. The pipe 00 rises from the chamber S into the receiver 0, above the water'line, and conducts the carbureted air from this receiver down into the said chamber from which this carbureted air escapes to the service-pipes or burners through pipe 1%. The receiver O is a vessel inverted into a bath of water and guided by the projections 0 acting against the case L. From the center of the crown of this receiverO depends a rod carrying upon its lower end a conical valve, K. This valve is so adjusted with respect to the rising and falling movements of the receiver that when this receiver attains its highest point of rising the valve will close an orifice, K, through a cap, S, which is at the highest point of the conical division, M, and thus cut off the flow of carbureted air from chamber D into the receiver 0. As the receiver descends by the consumption of the carbureted air in it the valve-opening K will be gradually enlarged, and thus allow carbureted air to enter the receiver again.

The cocks t t are for supplying the tanksD and L with their appropriate liquids. W W are drip-cocks, and V is a pipe leading from chamber S into the tank D and extending down far enough to dip into the gasoline N nearly to the bottom a, so that none of the carbureted air can escape by way of this pipe. The pipe V is intended for conducting the products of condensation from chamber S into the chamber D, with the gasoline therein.

The operation is as follows: The air enters chamber G through pipe 0, which chamber traps the condensed watery vapor in this air. The air then rises through tube 01 into tube 0, then passes through openings 6 down pipes 0 into the central chamber, 0 In this latter chamber the air receives its first charge of the hydrocarbon vapor, and itis entrapped therein until there is a sufficient upward pressure and condensation of the air to lift the cup E bodily above the surface of the water. When this cup is lifted some of the partially-carbureted air escapes from the chamber 0 into the second annular chamber, where it is again entrapped, and where it receives another charge of the vapor. At the next upward thrust of the cup E some of the carbureted air escapes from the last-mentioned chamber into the third chamher, where it is again entrapped and further enriched with the hydrocarbon vapor. The carbureted air finally escapes in a condition fit for burning into the chamber D, from whence it enters the receiver 0 through the valve-opening K for consumption.

It will be seen that the cup E keeps up a constantjumping movement in order to allow of 'the escape of the air in its different stages of earbonization from one chamber to another. Consequently this cup or carburetor serves as a means for agitating the volatile liquid and facilitating its conversion into vapor.

Thejumping action sets the air free from the respective chambers, or at least causes it to move from one chamber to another, even though the cup-shaped vessel should not ever rise above the surface of theliquid N. VVhatever may be the theory of the operation, this fact is certain, that the separate chambers formed by ringspp cause the airto dip down several times into the fluid N before it escapes into chamber 1).

Having described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A carburetor, E, which is composed of an inverted cup and a number of independent concentric chambers formed by concentric rings projecting from its bottom, and which is suspended from the case A of the apparatus by means of an adjustable spring, substantially in the manner and for the purposes described.

2. The construction of a carburetor, E, having a number of independent carbureting chambers or cups in its bottom, with a central guide-tube, e, and side tubes, e leading therefrom into the central chamber, 0", substantially as described.

3. The condenser G, air-inlet pipe 0, drawofi cock W, and central guide-pipe, d, in combination with a suspended agitator and earburetor, substantially as described.

4. While not claiming broadly a floating carburetor, I do claim a cupped carburetor which is suspended and balanced in the volatile liquid by means of a spring-arm, T, substantially as described.

5. The condensing-chamber S, interposed between the chamber in which the receiver 0 works and the chamberin which the air is carbureted, said chamber S being in communication with the receiver 0, and also with the service-pipe R, substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. The discharge-tube V, leading from the condenser S into the tank D, substantially as and for the purposes described.

7. The combination of the receiver and its valve, operating substantially as described in a chamber, L, with an agitator and carburetor which is constructed and suspended so as to operate substantially as described.

8. A combined carburetor, regulator, and condenser, constructed and operating substantially as described.

JOSEPH S. WOOD.

Witnesses:

Enwn. BROWN, WM. P. SMITH. 

